With their sheltered, nutrient-rich ponds on either side of the Maas, the Hedelse Bovenwaard and Empelse Waard offer plenty of space for water fowl.

And these feathered swimmers are more than happy to use it. Ducks, geese, swans, coots, moorhen and grebes live here, breed, give birth and raise their young.

Kingfishers, seagulls and cormorants also feel completely at home here.

In winter the floodplains and ponds are a favorite foraging stop for migratory birds such as tufted ducks, gadwalls and shelducks.

I use a Canon SX70 HS camera to shoot the birds. This device may not always produce super-sharp images, but the extreme focal length of 1365 mm allows you to get close to the animals from a proper distance.
 And with Its relatively small size and low weight there is no need for a tripod.

The photos are from 2021 onwards.